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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26886001">We Still Don't Know What It Means To Be Human</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/soleilas/pseuds/soleilas'>soleilas</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hetalia: Axis Powers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Computers, Human AU, Robot Revolution, Robots, Technology, futuristic AU, histober2020, inktober but its writing, inktober2020, prompt was computers, robot and human relations</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 01:28:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,189</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26886001</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/soleilas/pseuds/soleilas</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"A1430 reporting to the Kirkland Family." A familiar, but rusted, voice murmured out. </p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>We Still Don't Know What It Means To Be Human</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Histober/Inktober 2020 Day Seven: computer</p>
<p>Okay, I thought of robots when thinking of computers, so this happened. I don't know if this works as the story takes place in the future, but the prompts were open to interpretation, so don't sue me.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>History books could tell you how the relationship between robots and humans had been through several phases. At first, they were just extra projects that could only do a few simple tasks; then, as time passed, they seemed to grow in intelligence, and soon, their world was ram by the machines. They seem to grow even more realistic, and that's when the first few problems arose. </p>
<p>Arthur had been merely a young boy of four years when the first robot uprising took place. Nearly millions of robots began fighting for their place. After all, they ran the world. Thousands had died during that uprising, and even more, died in the following years. Arthur's family had been lucky, they had one robot to help them around the farm, and he had stayed loyal to them throughout the troubling times. </p>
<p>A1430 was his number, but he was given a name, a custom shared by many who had personal robots. They called him Alfred; his job was to help around the farm and keep track of the technical things. Arthur's parents were not the best with technology; they had been raised without it. They seemed to use that argument quite often throughout his childhood and teen years. </p>
<p>But to Arthur, the robot was a friend. He quickly learned that Alfred was different and didn't understand things as much as he did. He would spend days trailing after him rambling on about something or trying to help him understand simple things. Alfred didn't seem to mind him, and for the first time in his short life, he had someone that didn't shoo him away. </p>
<p>But as Arthur grew, so did the uprisings. It seemed that the robots began to loose their mindless attributes and seemed to morph into feeling humans. It appeared that the only way to stop the uprisings was to take away their humanity. They needed to become mindless and simple robots once more. They needed to be reminded of their place. They were not human, nor could they ever become one. </p>
<p>The government had decided on a universal Day to shut off all robots past the Beta4 phase. It was the safest decision, and later the day would be known as Human Victory Day, but Arthur would remember it as his thirteenth birthday. </p>
<p>He had known for months about the shutdown. All humans knew, even some of the robots knew, but they couldn't stop it. Arthur had dreaded the date, but as the days crept closer, he forced himself to accept Alfred's fate. That's why he had broken his vow of not talking to Alfred the day of his birthday and had crept outside. </p>
<p>Of course, he found Alfred already hard at work. Alfred was always the first up to start his chores. Arthur usually came out to help him later in the morning, so it wasn't unusual to find Arthur following the robot. </p>
<p>"You don't have to do chores today..." Arthur solemnly spoke as he watched Alfred feed the pigs. Alfred turned and stared at him for a long moment before he responded.</p>
<p>"Oh? I don't remember this being a holiday. Did I miss something?" He dropped the bucket, his blue eyes glowing as he searched through his database. </p>
<p>Arthur gave him a soft smile. Of course, he couldn't tell Alfred the real reason. Even if the robot had no emotion to show, he could imagine the look of betrayal in his eyes and expression. This was his best friend; after all, he couldn't tell him that. It would make him just as mindless as Alfred.</p>
<p>So he lied, "it's my birthday. Dad said, you could have a day off today. It means more time to spend with me, after all." It was a half-truth. Arthur was determined to spend all the time he could with Alfred before the other was shut down for good. </p>
<p>Years later, Arthur found himself flipping through a book. It was a child's book about robots and how humans had saved everyone from them. His son, bless his ignorant heart, had brought it home from school. He closed the book and glanced down at the sleeping toddler. He had been born with the same blue eyes that Arthur had grown up with, so he felt it respectable that he honored the robot with a name. </p>
<p>Arthur sighed as he stood. The day had been long, with the funeral of his late father ending only an hour before. He had skipped the family dinner to take his son somewhere more called to sleep. That and his relationship with his other family members hadn't been the best recently. With the extra time, he decided to look around and see how the house and property around it had changed in the decade he had not been home. </p>
<p>After searching through the dusty rooms and attic of the large house, he turned his attention to the sheds and other outside buildings that dotted the yard. The first few buildings he had scanned through held nothing except old farming supplies and tools. Although, he did find a chest labeled with his eldest brother's name. After seeing it was locked, he figured it wasn't worth the time to open it and had moved on. </p>
<p>Nearly an hour later, he found himself approaching another shed. This one had seen better days, and the walls and roof were covered in vines and leaves. It seemed this building had been laid to be forgotten. Arthur managed to shove the door open after pushing through the curtain of greenery and coughed as the dust flew around him. The high windows let in filtered sunlight, and he managed to wind his way through the rubble that littered the ground. </p>
<p>Curious, he shuffled towards a black trunk with his name on it. His curiosity got the best of him as he found himself trolling over a stack of books. He landed on the ground with a loud yelp. For a moment, he was disoriented but found himself shocked when he came face to face with an arm. </p>
<p>Arthur immediately pulled back in horror. He stared at the arm with a morbid curiously and slight confusion before he noticed the way the sunlight reflected off it. It had to be metal. Even more curious, he began pushing at the rubble, burying the rest of the body. After a few moments of awkward shifting through dirt and trash, he found himself face to face with a robot body. </p>
<p>It had rusted over, and Arthur was confident it was broken beyond repair, but his heart sank when he met the mindless gaze of the dead robot. It's blues eyes matched his son's. It seemed he had found Alfred's final resting place. </p>
<p>He hesitantly reached out and pressed his hand against the cold metal that made his right cheek. He let out a breath he seems to have been holding. </p>
<p>"After all these years..." </p>
<p>He was cut off when the machinery beneath his trembling fingers began to move stiffly, now waking up after their decade long slumber.</p>
<p>"A1430 reporting to the Kirkland Family." A familiar, but rusted, voice murmured out. </p>
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